I don't have this cable channel but I sure hope someone watches and posts details. The link above in interesting, to say the least.

I loved this documentary. I thought the topless cheerleaders at parts were a bit contradictory to the point he was trying to make but aside from that, the point was made very well and it was very convincing.
It's saddening though because it seems varsity is the one making the sport unsafe yet we still have to give our money to them because they hold such a huge monopoly over the competitions.

Wow, that was really something to watch.   We have been lucky over the years and nobody in our family has suffered any injuries, but the risks have always been there.   So Varsity calls it a sport, but not to the point where it could cost them their almighty dollars.  I really had no idea it was such a monopoly, it seems so wrong.   Many of the frustrations posted here and elsewhere would disappear if it were a sport and not a business.


-- Edited by MyTake on Tuesday 15th of June 2010 06:48:59 AM

gottacheer wrote:

---

Penn and Teller are jack a$$es.

The shows producers approached Varsity in December and asked them to be a part of the taping, but because of the adult and sometimes vulgar nature of the content, Varsity declined. In fact, the very name of the program is a profanity. The show also has a reputation for generally casting women in a disrespectful light. For th0se reasons, Varsity declined to participate. I am sure they are happy they made the right decision.

The episode contained what appears to be false and misleading claims about cheerleading safety statistics. The show sensationalized the dangers of cheerleading and grossly understated current safety practices. It also falsely portrayed Varsitys position on a number of issues including safety and Title IX.

If Varsity had been a willing participate with the show, I am sure their view on them would have been more favorable.

The parents who are paying their gym fees are stupid to think that money is going straight to Varsity. Every gym owner makes their own choices on where to purchase uniforms etc. The merchandise stores shown in the program were not even Varsity Brands.

Just another poorly educated show. Maybe they should expand their series and do a segment on EVERY sport.

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GottaCheer,  I couldn't have said it better.  Thank you!  A very poorly educated show, with some perverts telling you about a sport that we all love.  
People need to be careful what they listen to, especially when they(Penn & Teller) are trying to destroy what they obviously don't respect, Cheerleading.

 

Would anyone like the Security Exchange Commission (10K report from Varsity) document that states Varsity would lose money if it were a sport? Or maybe the one that shows they paid over $5million to NFHS to promote their competitions?

By the way what stats were taken out of context? I would love to educate you on that and if you want to state the AACCA study save yourself the trouble as it is NOT a study since it was not written by experts, peer reviewed by experts or ever printed in a sports medicine peer reviewed journal which is required by the research world to considered a study.

Everything in the episode is true and if you have any questions feel free to ask me and I will show the proof NOT my opinion.

Lastly, if you think Penn & Teller would have shown Varsity in a good light had they appeared you haven't seen any of their shows before.

As for the format, yes the show is done by a bunch of men who on any given day didn't give a crap about cheerleaders but when they did their investigation they were compelled to do it. That's what makes it so amazing is that people who normally wouldn't look twice at the subject were so moved to do a whole show about it.

But why would you care as long as it is not your kid with a fractured skull or who can no longer walk why would it matter to you.

Ok, show us the facts.

-- Edited by AmericanOwner on Friday 18th of June 2010 10:38:03 PM

Here is a portion of the document with full title. This document is 75 pages and is available on Lexis Nexis or Westlaw.

FORM TYPE: 10-K

DOCUMENT DATE: December 31, 2002

FILING DATE: March 31, 2003

* * * * * * * * * * COMPANY INFORMATION * * * * * * * * * *
ADDRESS: MEMPHIS, Tennessee, 38115
CIK: 0000874786
SIC CODES:
3949 - Sporting and athletic goods
INDUSTRY TYPE: Recreational Products
SECTOR ID: Consumer Cyclical

* * * * * * * * * * FILING DATA * * * * * * * * * *
REPORT PERIOD: December 31, 2002
SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-14629

page 6


REGULATION
There is no national governing body regulating cheerleading and dance team activities at the collegiate level. Although voluntary guidelines relating to safety and sportsmanship have been issued by the NCAA and some of the athletic conferences, to date cheerleading and dance teams are generally free from rules and restrictions similar to those imposed on other competitive athletics at the college level. However, if rules limiting off-season training are applied to cheerleading and/or dance teams similar to rules imposed by the NCAA on some inter-collegiate sports, it could, under certain circumstances, have a material adverse affect on Varsity's business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we are not aware of any school officially adopting these activities as a competitive sport, recognition of cheerleading and/or dance teams as a sport would increase the possibility that cheerleader or dance activities may become regulated. We currently do not believe that any regulation of collegiate cheerleading or dance teams as a sport is forthcoming in the foreseeable future, and in the event any rules are proposed to be adopted by athletic associations, we expect to participate in the formulation of such rules to the extent permissible.
At the high school level, some state athletic associations have classified cheerleading as a sport and in some cases have imposed certain restrictions on off-season practices and out-of-state travel to competitions. However, in all cases to date, we have been able to work with these state athletic associations to designate acceptable times for the cheerleaders within these states to attend camps. We have also signed agreements with several state associations to assist with sponsoring and executing official competitions within these states. To date, state regulations have not had a material effect on our ability to conduct our normal business activities.

Black's Law Dictionary definition of a "Red Herring": an irrelevant legal or factual issue usually intended to distract or mislead

Seems your comment about a red herring is closer to that definition than the fact that I lead a post with the title of the document so that readers could identify where the information came from.

Have I read another 10k report? I am 40 years old don't you think that is a little condescending Bill? Of course I have, and understand the concept well. The facts remain facts.

Where are you confused about the NCSF grouping all of cheer together? One of the big issues in cheerleading is the fact that you say the word cheerleading and that could mean anyone of the following:

1. song team
2. dance team
3. sideline that never take their feet off the ground
4. rec teams that vary from sideline to full blown stunts and tumbling
5 high school team that stunts and tumbles
6. college team that stunts and tumbles
7. all stars

The NCSF certainly did not create that issue. We know the difference and it is a big part of our new educational program being launched at the US Sports Academy.

We are working on a PDF that will help a school administrator classify their cheer program properly as a lot of high school think they have a sideline team when meanwhile they are doing basket tosses and building pyramids on grass and asphalt.

Based on all of the emails, calls and messages I have received since the show aired the consensus is that I only said what everyone else is too afraid to say in public but have thought for years.

How can Jeff Webb apply to International Olympic Committee for Cheer to be a sport and then deny that it is.

We all know that legitimizing cheer would require big money. Who is going to pay for mats and spring floors, practice space, coaches training, safety equipment, athlete safety training?

How would cheer companies have their cheer camps on grass if they whole world knows that learning new stunts on a hard surface is unsafe? You can do a simple Google news search and see that Jeff Webb himself tells the media over and over in 1986 when Janis Thompson dies and Dale Baldwin was paralyzed in the same week that UCA safety guidelines state cheerleaders should learn new stunts on safety mats(Schenectady Gazette 12/29/86). But 20+ years later 500,000 high school girls will go to camp in the heat on grass with the sun in their eyes!! Why? It's simple: $$$

I have spent 6 years sometimes a 100 hours a week working to educate myself and connect with experts to solve the cheer safety problem. I personally know over 100 families of cheerleaders who have suffered catastrophic injuries. Our database has a list of over 1000! Yes it says 1000. A cheerleader just fractured her c6 at camp this week. They are not flukes, they are preventable injuries. If you examine Mueller's list 90% could have been prevented with a few reasonable changes. But hey as long as the cheer injury story you are reading is about some other family and not your son or daughter it's no big deal.

penn & teller are an absolute joke, when the girls took off their tops and those two jokers started throwing the foul language around they completely lost their argument.  You seem to be more into destroying a company than being concerned about cheerleaders. 

No one wants kids hurt, not ours, not others.